Automatically operated venetian blind



Aug. 29, 1950 J. ESPOSITO AUTOMATICALLY OPERATE'D VENETIAN BLIND 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 22, 1948 'g JNVENToR. cZJn Zfosz- ATTURNEY.

J. ESPOSITO AUTOMATICALLY OPERATED VENETIAN BLIND Aug. 29, 195o :s sheets-sheet 2 Filed April 22, 1948 Q Emma ,IIIII Aug, 29, 1950 J. ESPOSITO 2,520,629

AUTOMATICALLY oPERATED VENETIAN BLIND- Filed AprilI 22, 1948 3 sheets-sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. zzn Ergqdfff.

ATTVORNEY.

Patented Aug. 29, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATICALLY OPERATED` VENETIAN BLIND 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a Venetian blind and more particularly to an automatically operated Venetian blind.

Most Venetian blinds now commonly in use have lift cords which must be manually pulled for lifting the slats. In such ordinary blinds, in order to retain the slats in adjusted or raised position, it is also necessary to tie the pull cord to a cleat or other holding device.

It is a prime object of the present invention to provide a Venetian blind that overcomes the foregoing diiculties.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a Venetian blind with improved means for automatically raising the slats.

A further object is to provide a blind of this type with means for automatically stopping and retaining the blind in any adjusted or raised position without the necessity of tying the pull cord to a lock or the like.

A still further object is to provide a, blind of this type with a pull cord that is self-equalizing.

A specific object of the present invention is to 'provide an improved roller unit that can readily be adapted to any of the ordinary Venetian blinds now in use without regard to the material of which such blinds are made and without the necessity of altering the construction of such blinds.

Still another object is to provide a Venetian blind that Vis simple and inexpensive in construction and highly efficient in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description thereof to follow taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an front elevational view of a Venetian blind embodying my invention shown on a window and in fully lowered condition.

Figure 2 is a similar View showing the blind in raised condition.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the roller unit with the parts in the condition of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a similar View showing the parts in the condition of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the blind shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure '7 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the plane of the line 1--1 of Figure 1,

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the plane of the line 8-8 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of the line 9-9 of Figure 1.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a window frame or casing which may be of any suitable construction including side members I and 2 and a top or upper cross piece 3. On the inner surfaces of the side members adjacent their upper ends are brackets 4 for supporting the Venetian blind structure. This blind structure comprises a top bar 5 and a bottom bar 6 and a vertical series of spaced slats I supported by flexible ladder tapes 8 and 9 which extend between and over the top and bottom bars forming front and rear reaches or portions Ill and Il, respectively, as viewed in Figure 7. The slats extend across the space between the reaches of the tapes and have their edges secured to the inner surfaces thereof so that they are maintained in uniform registry and are positively' responsive to the movements of the tapes.

The roller unit is supported on a bar I2 which may be detachably supported by the brackets 4 in any suitable manner. The top bar 5 is supported on the bar I2 by hook and eye connections I3 and I4 at the ends of said bars. 'Ihe roller unit includes a rotatable and shiftable transverse roller or tube I5 one end of which is closed by a cap I6 having a central opening formed by an upper outstruck lug I1 and an opposed lower instruck lug I8, said lugs forming fragments of a screw thread at said end. At its opposite end the tube is litted with an annular head member I9 having a recessed portion 20 and a central opening 2|. A hub member 22 is mounted in the opening 2| and has an enlarged portion 23 eX- tending outwardly of the head member and into the recessed portion thereof. The hub member serves as a bearing for the head member I9 and has a central rectangular slot 24.

Cords 34 and 35 are provided at the ends of the tube for lifting the slats 1. Cord 34 is secured at its upper end to the tube directly above the tape 8 by means of a U-shaped clip 36, and cord 35 directly above tape 9 by a similar clip 31. Each cord is coiled around the tube and extends vertically down through aligned slots 38, 39 and 40 in the bar I2, cross pieces 4I of the tapes and top rail 5, respectively, and then pass downwardly through central slots 42 in the slats 'I to the bottom bar 6 where its bottom end is fastened in any suitable manner.

The tube and lifting cords are operated by ay torsional spring 43 positioned inside of the tube. The spring encircles the shaft 25 and has one end anchored thereto as indicated at 44 and has its other end anchored in a. notch 45 formed in an annular bearing member 46 Xed to the inside of the tube and provided with a central opening 4l for the passage of the shaft. The tube is shorter than the distance from bracket 26 to bracket 2l by substantially the length of the threaded portion 3| of the shaft 25 and through the medium of said threaded portion and the lu'gs ITI 1and i8 vof cap l vis susceptible of lateral movement, that is to say, `a movement in the direction of its axis back and forth according to how it is rotated. This arrangement of the spring and mounting of the tube causes the tube to rotate and move along the shaft 25 when the spring is wound and unwound.

A looped pull cord e8 is provided for yactuating the mechanism and has lone end secured -to the end of the tube opposite the cap i6 by a clip 49. The cord is then wound around the tube Vand has its other end fastened thereto by a clip 50 positioned inwardly yof clip fig. Ifnit's travel, the opposite portions of thefcord pass overland `under aligned guide pulleys i 'and 52 mounted adjacent each other on the front edge 4of bar yl2 as vie-wed in Figures 1 and 7 in order to facilitate movement thereof and prevent entanglement.

"The yblind is held inraised or adjusted position by Ahold-ing means including a detent mernl fber formed by 'providing opposed shoulders z53 on -the enlarged `portion '23 of the hub member :2.2. A :ring member 5@ surrounds the detent mem-ber and is fmovably supported in the recessed @portion 2t of the vl'read'member i9 by pins 55 protruding :from sai-d head member and extending loosely through `slots '55 in said ring mem- AGloposed lugs f' 'extending inwardly from the inner Aperiphery of the ring member 4are adapted 'to `engage vthe 'shoulders 53 fof the 'detent member when the 'tube it is turned to Ypermit the ring member toslii'd-e on the pins '55 radiing the 'tube :against further movement.

Jin Figure l, the blind is shown in completely lowered vposition at which time the tube l5 Ais at its farthermost position to the 'right on shaft J 'as viewed 'mFigures 1 and 3, and the spring t3 is fully wound as :shown `in Figure 3. The pull 'cord '48 is wound upon the tube with its coils commencing at the end fastened by clip 49 Aand wound inwardly thereof. The lifting cords '34 and it will be noted are 'fully `unwound. 'One iof the lugs F5? vof the ring member "5G is "in holding yengagement with one 'of the the 'shoulders f -of' the deten't 'so that the parts cannot move.

A pull or tug on the .pull 'cord '3 will partly turn the tube in order to permit the ring mem- -ber to slide out of engagement with the detent thereby releasing the hold yon spring '43. The force or power vin the-spring now being fre'e, "it forces the tube around and along the shaft whereby the lifting cords 34 Vand 35 are coiled Varound the shaft :at the necessary speed to coil `'ther-n as 'shown in Figures 2 and 4 thereby colj direction the tube -is rotated.

yet() To lower the blind, it is merely necessary to tug at the pull cord 48 in order to release the engagement between the ring member and the detent member whereby the slats will fall by gravity, the spring at the same time turning the tube around and along the shaft in the opposite direction, winding the lifting cords around the tube and winding itself up in the meantime.

`By manipulating the pull cond-4B, 'the rotation of 'the tube i 5 'can be controlled so that the blind can be raised or lowered to any desired position.

Changes in details might be made without departing from the principle or scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of spaced slats, a rplura-lityof cords for lifting said slats and mechanism for operating said cords including -a tube operatively connected to the ends of the cords, a xed shaft mounting said tube and extending freely therethrough, said shaft havh'ig a screw-threaded end, a torsional -rspr-ing Tencircling said shaft inside the tube and operatively connected to the `shaft 'and tube, la fcap cl'fsing vone `end of vsaid tube and having acentrafl copening with offset edges adapted 'to coact with the threaded end of the shaft for rotating said tube and shifting same along the lshaft 4upon winding and unwindin-g of -th'eshaf-t, 'a detent .member on the shaft and held yagainst rotation thereon, a bodily movable :ringfmember carried vby the tube at its other end, integral flugs 'on -the -rir-ig member adapted to engage the =detent member Yfor releasably holding the spring against :movement and a pull vcord connected `to `the tube ffor releasing the engagement between the lugs and detent member.

.2. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of spaced slats, .a plurality of cords for'liftingsaid s'latsand mechanism for operating ysaid cords including a tube operatively connected to the ends of the cords, an annular member AiiXed inside said 'tube intermediate its ends and having a central opening, a fixed shaft mounting said tube and extending freely therethrough and 'through said ilXed annular-member, said shaft having a screwthreaded end, a 'torsional shaft encircling said rshaft inside the tube and having 'one 'end anchored in said shaft and its other end anchored in said annular member, a cap closing one end of 'said tube land having a central opening with offset Iedges adapted to 'coact with the threaded end of the shaft for rotating said tube 'andshifting same along the shaft 'upon winding 'andunwinding vof the shaft, a detent member on 'the sha-ft and held against rotation thereon, abodily movable ring member carriedl by the ftube at its 1other e'nd, integra-l lugs on 'the ring member adapted to engage the ydetent vmember for releasably holding the spring against movement and 'a pullicord connected to the tube at 7both 5ends for releasing the engagement between the Vlugs 'and detent member, said pull cord encircling said tube in coiled formation whereby lanle'qual number xof coils is wound and unwound fromtIh-e tube `upon movement of the tube. l A

3. A roller unit for use with Vene-tifanblinds comprising a flat supporting bar, upstanding brackets at the ends of said bar, a slffaft `erten'xiling between rand -fiXedly Vsupported by rsaid brackets, said shaft a screw-tlnfeaded Tend, a tubular member rotatably and Shi'ftably 'supported by 'said shaft b'etween'isaid brackets, said ltubular member `being shorter than saidehaft, a cap closingbne fend of-said tubular vmerrrber and having a central opening with offset edges adapted to coact with said screw-threaded end, an annular member fixed in said tubular member intermediate its ends and having a central opening for passage of the shaft, a. torsional spring encircling said shaft and having one end anchored therein and its other end anchored in said annular member, a head member tted in the other end of the tubular member, a detent member on said shaft adjacent said head member, a bodily movable ring member carried by said head member and lugs on the ring member 10 Number adapted to engage said detent member for controlling the action of said spring.

JOHN ESPOSITO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this partent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Y Name Date 1,756,680 Dodge Apr. 29, 1930 2,029,143

Wicks Jan. 28, 1936 

